Firework shows become more high tech for Fourth of July celebrations

In China, fireworks are a source of pride believed to keep away evil spirits and bring good fortune to the home, according to John Kemps, the president of Celebration Fireworks in Slatington.

"It's different in this country," he said.

Over the next few days, the sky will be lit up in towns across America with fireworks celebrating Independence Day. Each of those shows will differ in how the fireworks are arranged, whether music is played and what designs are presented.

Fireworks have recently been given recognizable patterns, like smiley faces and stars.

Kemps said those patterns are made in the sphere, or the top of the firework, by components that are precisely set into the pattern before being wrapped in paper for protection.

When the firework bursts, that pattern will burst in the sky, he said.

Another recent innovation has been red tails to fireworks. In the past, comets, or those with tails, were only available in gold or silver. But Kemps said someone in China figured out a way to make the tail red.

Glittering tails are also relatively new to the sky, Kemps said, adding they're made by little beads of a strong composition that fall behind the firework and start to blink.

Kemps said he travels to China once a year to see new products before making his yearly order for new fireworks.

He said the Chinese take great pride in making the fireworks, some of them handmade. The country also makes up about 95 percent of the world's market of fireworks, according to Kemps.

"It's something they do extremely well," he said.

Fireworks you can dance to

What Kemps ultimately ends up ordering for the year gets deployed in more ways than just making patterns. He said setting shows to music is a Celebration specialty.

The synchronization is done through control modules and a firing system, Kemps said. All the fireworks are hooked up to ignite at a precise time during the show.

"We can't do it without the devices and computer," he said.

The system sends an electrical current to the firework, which lights it, Kemps said. The system can control lighting of the firework to a hundredth of a second.

Every minute of a "pyromusical" takes four hours to program into the control devices, Kemps said.

Kemps said that within the next week his company will hold 24 shows, 14 on Friday alone, going as far west as Lititz in Lancaster County and as far south as Delaware.

Local shows by Celebration will include those in Allentown, Bethlehem and the Northampton Country Club, a private event visible in the surrounding areas.

City shows have their limits

Though some shows lend themselves to more than just shooting the pyrotechnics straight into the sky, the shows in Allentown and Bethlehem don't, Kemps said.

"Everything has to be high-level shells," Kemps said, explaining that bigger shows can be done in less densely populated areas.

One local show, held by Schmoyer Funeral Home in Upper Macungie Township, will be able to show off the equipment. Carl Schmoyer III has enlisted the help of Kemps for the large display, which will take place Saturday.

Schmoyer said fireworks have been a hobby for him since he was a teenager. This year's 40-minute show will include narration of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

Kemps, who started his career as an electrical engineer, said he has been hooked on creating shows since seeing one in 2001. Since starting Celebration that year, he said, every year his skill set grows and the shows get more sophisticated.